Fishing reel



April 3 c. A. GODSHALK El AL 1,904,992

FISHING REEL Filed May 2, 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 WITNESS April 25, 1933' c. A. GODSHALK ET AL FISHING REEL Filed May 2, 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 m 0 R ad r0 m Na 0 e m c WITNESS flTTORNEY Patented Am. 25, 1933 PATENT OFFICE W] A. GODBHALK. Oil DIODE, AND FEEDER! um um DAVID BEKBSIHG, 01' PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGHOIB, BY

IENTB, '1' OCEAN CITY MANUFACTURING 00., 0! PHILADELPHIA. rnmrmvnlu,

A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA rrsxme am REISSUED Application filed Kay 8, 1888. Serial 80. 008,000.

This invention relates to that type of fishin reels, known as freespool reels and embo ying in their construction a mechanism whereby the driving gear of the winding mechanism may be moved out of mesh wit the pinion on the spindle of the spool, thus permitting the spool to revolve freely to pay out the line from the reel, as in casting, in order that the hook and bait may be cast m for long distances without any retardation of'the speed with which the line is delivered due to an engagement of the driving spindle with the s 1 through the. gearing. Since the spool 18 released at'a critical point, in casting to get the longest throw or cast it is hig ly desirable that the mani ulation of the release control lever should positive and rapid in its action;

In the free spool gear releasing mechanisms as heretofore constructed, it has been customar to apply a friction directly or indirect y to the releasing lever, making it necessary for the fisherman to push the reel releasing lever from one end of its path of as movement to the other against the resistance of such friction applying mechanisms and in the excitement of the sport it often ha pens that in releasing the spool from t e driving mechanism, the gears are moved onl so partly out of mesh in castin with the resu t that distance is not attain or in winding in they are partly out of mesh, with the result that an undue and unnecessary wear is imposed upon the gears, and the gears wear out rapidly under this common and frequent failure of the fisherman to positively throw the releasing lever to the extreme limits of its motion.

It is the object of the present invention to provide a reel of the class described wherein, when the fisherman, in casting, moves a reel releasing lever through only a part (substantially one-half) of its complete travel in throwing the gearing into and out of mesh,

an automatic means comes into play to complete the motion and insure the travel of the spool releasing lever to the full and or limit of its movement thereby moving the driving gear to a position where the gears are with certain,

mesh f or'the purpose of enabling t e fis erman to wind in the line upon the spool.

A further object of this invention is to provide a free spool reel with the automatic mechanism above referred to which is simple, is completely concealed, is certain in its action, and is not likel to become worn or to be easily broken or disarranged.

Further objects of the invention will appear in the specification and claims below.

Referring to the drawings forming a part of this specification and wherein the same reference characters are employed throughout the various views to designate the same parts,

Fig. 1 is an end view of the inner side of the headplate of a fishin reel with the spool removed to show the winding mechanism and the spool releasing mechanism, the gear being shown in mesh to permit the fisherman to rotate the crank and drive the gear to draw in or wind up the line on the spool;

Fig. 2 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the said headplate with the adjacent end of the spool in the position it occupies in the assembled structure;

Fig. 3 is a. view similar to Fig. 1 but showing the gearing out of mesh whereby the spool is free to rotate, to pay out the line in casting, without retardation or hindrance due to the driving mechanism;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary view of the back of the inner side of a headplate of a fishing reel showing a modified form of the invention, and Fig. 5 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view on the line 55 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 illustrates a further modification of the reel freeing or releasing mechanism; and

Fig. 7 is a transverse sectional view on the line 7-7 of Fig. 6.

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary view of a still further modification of the invention.

Referring first to the modification shown in Figs. 1 to 3 inclusive, wherein is shown as much of the mechanism of a flshin 7 reel as is necessary for an understanding this invention, the headplate 1 havin a slightly deressed circular area 2 and eeper recess 3 or the reception of the spool pinion 4 and the driving gear 5, said gears being located beneath a plate 6 mounted pivotally on a stud 7 embedded in the headplate 1 and projecting outwardly therefrom through the plate 6.

The bottom of this recess 4 is provided with a rather large hole 8 which extends through to the front of the end plate. Secured rigidly to the plate 6 and extending downwardly therefrom through the hole 8 IS a stud shaft 9 on which is rotatably mounted a sleeve 10Mover one reduced end of which is tightly screwed the driving gear and over the other reduced end of which is screwed the handle or crank 11, held in place on said sleeve b a loclt nut 12.

A suitable was er I3 is suitably interposed on the said shaft 9 between the plate 6 and the hub of the gear 5 and since the gear is larger in diameter than the hole 8, the gear 5 and sleeve unitary therewith, are prevented from lon 'tu'dinal movement on the said shaft 9, he plate 6 is also provided with slots 14 and 15 through which extend studs 16, 17 re ectivei-y, the ends of said studs being threa ed and provided with nuts 18, re-

ctively. The'slots 14, 15 extend substantlally concentric with the axis of the stud 7 and these nuts hold the plate 6 flat against the surface of the depressed area 2 but free to "be rotated or slid on said surface 2 about the stud 7 as a centen'z-Thefree spool lever 19 is mounted on'the-front side of the headplate 1 on a shaft 20 having a .smooth bearing 21 inthe headplate 1, the handle 19 being secured to the outer end of the shaft 20 a screw 22. The opposite end of said sha t 2 is provided with a flan e 23 and crank pin 24 extending outwardly t erefrom and through a slot 25 in the plate 6, the crank pin being eccentric with respect to the axis of the shaft 201 The material of the headplate 1 is provided with a ,hole 26 preferably cxtendin radiall from the'axis of the pinion 4 an through the axis of the bearing 21, and before the shaft 20 is inserted into its smooth bearin 21 a coil expansion spring 27 is placed in the ttom of said hole 26 and upon that is placed a cylindrical plunger 28 having a flat up er surface.

At t e place where the upper end of this plunger 28 engages the shaft 20, the shaftis provided with two adjoining flat surfaces 29 and 30 meeting in an acute angle or sharp edge 31, the same forming a cam 32, the operation of which will be described below.

The spool 33 (one end only of which is shown in Fig. 2) comprises a spool spindle 34 having'flanges 35 rigidly secured to the ends thereof and curving preferably into and just clearing the walls of the depressed area 2 on the inner side of the plate 1, thus covering in the assembled reel all the mechanism shown in Fig. 1, and located on the inner side of the headplate 1. The spool spindle 34 is provided with a cylindrical section or portion 36 and flattened portion 37 between said cylindrical portion 36 and the flange 35. T e pinion 4 is provided with a central cylindrical hole which fits the cylindrical portion 36 of the spindle and the end of the pinion adjacent the flan e 35 of the spool is provided with a mille transverse slot or cut 38, the sides of which fit against the flattened sides of the section 37 and in this way, by merely slipping the pinion 4 over the end of the spindle to fit on the cylindrical portion 36 and by turning it until the slot or cut 38 registers with the flattened portion 37 of the shaft and permits the flattened portion to enter the slot, the pinion 5 is automatically keyedto the spool spindle 34. Beyond the cylindrical portion 36 the spindle is rovided with a cylindrical bearing 39 w ich fits into a hole 40 in a bearing screw 41 threaded into a bushing 41' firmly embedded in the headplate 1 and the end of the cylindrical bearing 39 and a ball 42 in the bottom of the hole 40 forms a thrust bearing for the spool spindle 34.

- From the above it will now be seen that the handle or crank 11, the sleeve 10, the driving gear 5 are all supported on the stud shaft 9 and are carried by the plate 6 and that the large hole 8 through which the sleeve 10 extends permits of movement of the handle and sleeve .with the plate 7, with re spect to the head-plate 1.

Referring to 1g. 1 the parts are shown with the gears in mesh and b turning the crank or handle 11 and with it the driving gear 5, the spool 33 will be driven at a relatively high s eed by reason of the engagement of the rivin gear 5 with the pinion 4 and the gears wi 1 be relatively held firmly in mesh by the pressure of the plunger 38 against the flat surface 29 of the cam 32. When, however, one wishes to release the spool from the driving gear 5 he throws the lever 19 in the direction of the arrows in Fig. 1 rotating thereby the shaft 20 and the cam 32 and moving the crank pin 24 about the axis of the shaft 20 as a center. The rotation of this cam brings the sharp edge 31 to hear more firmly against the plunger 28 depressing it against the tension of the spring 27 and when the lever has been moved to a position in which it extends radially from the pinion 4, the sharp edge 31 will be the only contact between the cam 32 and the plunger 28. Now a slight movement of the lever 19 beyond this point causes the spring III cated b the dot-and-dash line 43 in Fig. -1.

But t is rotation of the shaft 20 and with it the crank pin 24 in the slot 25 rotates the plate 6 about the stud 7 as a center moving the driving gear 5 away from the pinion 4 and when the angle 31 of the cam 32 is in its half-way osition the gear 5 is preferably just out o mesh with the pinion 4. But the parts cannot remain in that position. If the handle 19 is pushed the slightestbeyond this point the spring-pressed plunger 29, acting on the cam 32, quickl throws the cam and the parts rigid therewith, including the hantile 19, to the position shown in Fig. 3 with the teeth of the gearing 4-5 out of mesh'and well clear of each other. Inthis position any slight accidental movement of the handle 19 will be insufficient to move the gear into mesh with the pinion 4.

To throw the gear 5 into mesh with the pinion 4, the reverse operation is practiced. Thus referring to Fig. 3, manual pressure on the lever 20 to the right depresses the plunger 28 and when the lever 19 is in its vertical position or just be end its vertical position, the pressure oft e said plunger is on the other side of the sharp angle 31 and against the surface 29 and the pressure of v the plunger. against this surface 29 sna s the lever back to the position shown by t e dot-and-dash line 44 in Fig. 3, which is the position shown in Fig. 1, thereby quickly movin the teethof the drive gear 5 into mesh with the pinion 4.

Thus it is that the fisherman is required to move the lever 19 through a short distance only (substantially half over) to throw the gears completely into or out of mesh. The gears cannot remain partly in mesh or rubbing against each other but are either out of mesh, or completely in mesh, due to the automatic action of the spring pressed plunger 28 against the flat-surfaces 29 and 30 of the cam 32 as soon as the edge 31 has passed beyond the dead center or half-way position.

In Figs. 4 and 5, in which is illustrator] a modified form of the invention. all the parts have been removed from the ,headplatc 1 es-' 3 in that it has two flat faces 48 and 49 meetin in a shaia') edge or angle 50 and one each si e of said at faces, the flange is provided with shoulders or abutments 5152.

Cooperating with this cam is a lever 53 pivoted atone end on a pivotal screw 54 threaded into a bushing 55 embedded in the headplate and the headplate 1" has a depression or recess 56 for the reception of the lever 53; The other end of the lever 53 is attached to a coil spring 57 mounted on a post 58 rigid with the headplate 1" and located in a recess 59. The lever is provided with an edge or angle 60 and fiat surfaces 61'62 tapering slowly away from the edge or angle 69.

The axis of the shaft 45, edge or an le 50 of the cam 47, the edge or angle60 of t 1e lever 53 are in alinement with each other when the lever 19 is midway between the limits of its two ositions.

The operation of thedevice is similar to that of the modification first described. Assuming, the position shown in Fi 4-to be the position of that in which the driving gear 5 is in mesh with the spool pinion 4, when the operator pushes the lever 19 in an anticlockwise direction (from the position shown in Fig. 4) the. sharp angle of the cam 47 slides over the surface 61 until it rides the sharp angle 60 on the lever 53 in which position the lever 19 will be substantiall radial with res ect to the axis of the reel and in so doing, t e cam 47 will depress the lever 53 against the tension of the spring 57, but as soon as the edge 50 goes beyond the edge 60 and is in engagement with the tapering surface 62, the tension of the spring 57 will quickly throw the cam and the parts connected thereto, (to wit, the lever 19) to the full end of the limit of its motion. In the position shown in Fig. 4 the abutment 51 will be in engagement with the surface 62 and will operate as a stop to prevent the tension of t e spring from rotatin the cam and the parts connected therewit beyond the position in a clockwise direction from that shown in Fi 4 and, conversely, when the lever 19 is in Its other position, indicated by the dotand-dash line 63 in Fig. 4, the abutment or shoulder 52 will be in engagement with the flat surfaces 61 on the lever and will similarly hold the lever in that position.

The crank pin 24 prqecting from the face of the cam 47 is the same pin 24 as'that shown in Fig! 1, and it operates a pivoted plate 6 which it has been assumedhas'been' removed from'Figs. 4and 5 for the purpose ofclearly showing the automatic lever-throwing mechanism which lies thereunder.

In F igs 6 and 7 is illustrated a further modification and, as in 4 and 5, the pivoted plate 6, together wit 1 all the other reel mechanism is assumed to have been removed from the reel head 1" except thatfor actuating the spool-freeing lever In this modification the head'plate 1" is rovided with a depressed area 2 upon which 15 adapted to rest and slide a pivoted plate 6, as in Fig. 1, and the lever-throwing mechanism is mounted in recesses (to be referred to below) in the depressed area 2".

The lever 19 is secured to the outer end of its shaft 64 by a screw 22 and the inner end of the shaft 64 is provided with a flange 65, longitudinal movement of the shaft in its smooth bearing 66 in the headplate 1 being revented by the said flange 65. and the ever 19.

But a portion of the face of the flange 65 is cut away or otherwise formed to provide a cam 67 having a roller 68 journaled near the apex thereof. As in the modification shown in 4 and 5 the crank pin 24 projects putwa ly from the face of the cam 67 for insertion into a slot 25 in a plate 6, as in Fig. 1. The flange 65 is seated in a depression 69 within the deeper area 2", the face of the cam being substantially in the plane of the said area 2" and the crank pin 24 extends upwardly through the plane of the plate 6, as clearly appears in Fig. 7. Coopcrating with this cam 67 is a parallel sided member 70 longitudinally slidable in a recess 71 in the depressed area2". That end of the said member 70 which is adjacent the cam 67 is provided with a transverse edge or angle 72 from which the surfaces 73 and 74 slo e slowly away.

n the bottom of the recess 71 for the member 70 is a deeper slot or recess 75 in which is seated a compression spring 76, one end of which presses. a ainst the end of the recess 75 and the ot erend of which resses firm] against a pin or lug 77 rigid with the mem r 0 and extending down into said recess 75. The path of the movement of the member 70 is radial with respect to the axis of the shaft 64 and the tension of the spring 7 6 is such as to hold the forward end of the member 70 yieldingly pressed a ainst the cam 67. The sides of the cam 6 side of the roller 68 are concave and terminate in flat shoulders or abutments 78, 79 respectively the shoulder 78 being in engagement with the surface 74 when the arts are in the position shown in Fig. 6, and t e shoulder 79 being in engagement with the surface 73 when the lever 19 has been thrown to the other limit of its path of movement indicated by the dot-and-dash line 80 in Fig. 6.

The operation of the device should now be plain. Assuming the parts to be in the position shown in F g. 6 in which the dr ving gear 5 is assumed to be in mesh with the spool pinion 4 as in Fig. 1. To release the pinion 5 from the drivin ear 4, the operator pushes the lever 19 quic y in the direction of the arrows in Fig. 6, thus rotating the cam 67 in an anticlockwise direction. The roller 68 traveling over the surface 73 reaches the edge on each 70 when the lever is half thrown over and in this position, the roller 68 and theedge or an le 72 will lie in a right line radial to the axis of the shaft 64 and the moment the said roller 68 passes over the edge or angle 70 to the tapering surface 74, the spring pressed member 70 automatically throws the cam and the parts connected thereto through the second half of their path of travel, the roller ridin downwardly on the surface 74 until the utment engages with the surface 73. In this position the lever 19 and the parts rigid therewith are firmly held in a stationary position by the pressure of the member 70 against the roller 68 and the abutment 79 with the gear 5 out of mesh with the pinion 40 in Fig. 3. To throw the gear 4 into mesh with the pinion 5, the operator merely reverses the operation last described by quickly pushing the lever 19 from the position indicated by the dot-and-dash line 80 to a position just beyond the half-way oint in its path of movement, whereupon t e spring pressed member 70 throws the cam 67 and the parts connected therewith quickly back to the original position in Fig. 6.

In Fig. 8 is shown a still further modification of this invention wherein the headplate 1 provides a smooth 0 lindrical bearing 81 for the shaft 82of the rec spool lever 19 on which is a flange 83somewhat similar to the flan 46 of the modification shown in Figs.

4 and 5 in that a portion of it is cut away to form two converging tapering surfaces 84 r and 85 terminating in a rounded edge or tip or apex 86 all to form a cam 87.

Cooperating with this cam 87 IS a leaf spring 88, one end of which is mounted on a pin or stud 89 rigidly secured to or embedded in the material of the head 1. Preferably this spring 88 is mounted in a recess 90 below the surface 2 upon which the plate 6 (omitted for the sake of clearness) rests and slides. The wall of the recess provides a vertical shoulder 91 against w ich the flattened pivoted end 92 of the leaf-spring bears squarely and by which the spring is prevented from rotating about the pin or stud 89. The free end of this spring 86 extends upwardly to lie flat against the flat surface 84 of the cam 87 and to hold the same and the shaft 82 and the lever 19 mounted thereon at the limit of 'its motion in one direction and to lie flat against the other flat surface 85 when the lever 19 is thrown to rotate the cam in an anticlockwise direction and that rotation has been continued until the lever 19 has been moved through substantially one-half of its travel. At this point the rounded edge 86 will be in engagement with the free end of the sprin88 with the tapering sides or surfaces 84 an 85'symmetrical with respect to a line -drawn through the axis of the shaft 82 and normal to the flat surface of the spring in contact with the cam, thereby forcingthe free and of the spring backwardly away from the axis of the shaft 82. The moment, however,

this point has been passed the pressure of the spring against the end of the cam will contlnue the movement of the shaft in an anti clockwise direction until the surface 85 lies flat against the upwardly extending free end of the spring 88, whereupon the lever 19 will be thrown to the position indicated b the dot-and-dash line 93 and will be held rmly in that position by said spring 88. When the fisherman throws the lever 19 in the opposite direction the o eration-of the parts will be reversed and w on the lever has been pushed travel the s ring wi l snap the lever ack to the origina position as shown in Fig. 8 with the free end of the leaf-spring resting squarelq; against the flat surface 84.

This 0 ration last described is characteristic of t e operation of all of the modifications above describeda As soon as the fisherman forces the lever 19 beyond its halfway point in its travel from one extreme position to the other, the spring mechanism mounted in the headplate 1 automatically throws the lever over to the limit of its movement, and. with the gearing into and out of mesh dependent u on the direction in which the lever is mov thereby avoiding any chance of the gears being allowed toremain partly in mesh or in incomplete contact which would result in friction and undue wear in the teeth of the gearin Having thus described our invention, what we claim and desire to protect by Letters Patent of the United States is 1. In a free spool reel, the combination of a reel head,'a spool spindle, one end of which is journaled in said head, a pinion fixed on said spindle, a driving gear, an oscillator member mounted on the outer side of said sad to oscillate, and movable back and forth in a fixed path, connections between said member and said driving ear to move said gear toward the axis of sai pinion into mesh with said pinion when said oscillatory member is moved to one limit of its motion, and to move said driving gear away from the axis of said pinion and out of mesh with said pinion when said oscillatory member is moved to the other limit of its motion, and resilient means on said reei and head to yieldingly hold said member at the limits of its motion in either direction, and operative, when said member is manually moved toward one of said limits beyond a point substantially midway between said limit, to automatically throw saidmember to that limit of its travel toward which it was being manually moved.

2. In a free spool reel, the combination of a reel-head, a spool spindle, one end of which is journaled in said head, a pinion fixed on said spindle, a late mounted on the inner side 0 said hea a driving gear mounted on throughsubstantiall one-half of its ath of said plate, a free reel lever lpivotally mounted in said head to move has and forth from one limit of its path of movement to the other limit thereof and connections between said lever and said plate to slide said plate and with it to carry the driving gear toward the axis of said pinion and into mesh with said pinion, when said lever is swung in one direction, and away from the axis of said pinion and with it to carry said driving gear away from the axis of said inion out of mesh with said pinion when sai lever is swung in the opposite direction, and resilient means mounted on said reel-head and cooperatin with said lever to automatically throw sai lever and the parts operated thereby to the limit of its travel when said lever is manually moved toward said limit beyond a oint substantially half-way between the limits of its movement and to retain said lever at the end of its path of movement against accidental displacement.

3. In a free spool reel the combination of a reel-head, a spool spindle, one end of which is journaled in said head, a pinion fixed on said spindle, a plate slidably mounted on the inner side of said head, a driving gear mounted on said plate, a free reel lever shaft also mounted for rotation in said reel-head, a free reel lever on the outside of said head and mounted on said shaft to oscillate said shaft, connection between said shaft and said late for moving said plate by and in accorciimce with the rotary movement of said shaft, a cam-like member mounted on said shaft, resilient means cooperating therewith to throw said shaft and said lever to the limit of its movement in either direction when said lever is manually moved from one of its limits toward the other of its limits through more than substantially one-half the distance between said limits, the said driving gear on said plate being in complete mesh with said pinion when said lever is at one limit of its movement and completely out of mesh therewith when said lever is at the opposite limit of its movement.

4. In a free heel, the combination of a reelhead, a reel spindle, one end of which is journaled in said head, a pinion unitary with said reel, a plate mounted on the inner side of said head, a driving gear mounted on said plate, a crank on the outer side of said head to rotate said driving gear, a free spool lever mounted on the outside of said head, a shaft journaled in said head and to which said lever is rigidl connected, a connection between said sha t and said plate to move said plate transversely to the axis of said pinion and with it said drive gear into mesh with said pinion when said lever is moved toward one limit of its movement and to move said driving gear away from the axis of said pinion and out of mesh with said inion when said lever is moved to the other imit of its move ment, a cam on said shaft and a snap mechanism coo rating with said cam to snap said lever to e extreme limit of its motion when said lever is manually pressed toward said limit beyond a point substantially midway between said limits.

In testimony whereof, we have hereunto set our hands this 29th do. of A ril 1932.

CLARENQ A. ObSHAL-K. FREDERICK HENKE. DAVID BEHRSING.

camncm: or CORRECTION.

Patent No. 1,904,992. April 25, 1933.

cinnamon A. consume ET- AL.

it it hereby certified that error appears in the printed specification of the above numbered patent requiring correction as follows: Page 3, line 67, for "one" read on; page 5, line 53, claim I, strike out the word "and"; and line 112, claim 4, for "heel" read reel; and that the said Letter: Patent ahould be read with these correctiona therein that the same may conform to the record of the cue in the Patent Office.

Signed and aealed this 12th day of December. A. D. 1933.

opkina (Seal) Acting oua nieeioner of Patenta.

nism coo rating with said cam to snap said lever to e extreme limit of its motion when said lever is manually pressed toward said limit beyond a point substantially midway between said limits.

In testimony whereof, we have hereunto set our hands this 29th do. of A ril 1932.

CLARENQ A. ObSHAL-K. FREDERICK HENKE. DAVID BEHRSING.

camncm: or CORRECTION.

Patent No. 1,904,992. April 25, 1933.

cinnamon A. consume ET- AL.

it it hereby certified that error appears in the printed specification of the above numbered patent requiring correction as follows: Page 3, line 67, for "one" read on; page 5, line 53, claim I, strike out the word "and"; and line 112, claim 4, for "heel" read reel; and that the said Letter: Patent ahould be read with these correctiona therein that the same may conform to the record of the cue in the Patent Office.

Signed and aealed this 12th day of December. A. D. 1933.

opkina (Seal) Acting oua nieeioner of Patenta. 

